


Welcome Home

by cains-mane (dustyjournal)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Wayward Daughters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-20
Updated: 2015-10-20
Packaged: 2018-04-27 06:14:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5036995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dustyjournal/pseuds/cains-mane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anon tumblr prompt: Could you write Claire meeting Jody and Donna?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Welcome Home

“Alex! Can you get the door?”

“Why can’t you get it?”

“Because I’m cooking you dinner. So unless you want burnt pancakes, you’d better get your butt off the couch.”

Alex groaned defiantly as the doorbell rang a second time.

“Alex!”

“I’ll get it, Jody-o!” Donna intervened, skipping down the stairs. The sheriff put on her biggest grin as she opened the door. She came face to face with a girl about her height, blonde hair tied in a low ponytail and blue eyes bright in contrast with the dark night. She only carried two items: an old bag slung on her shoulder and a leather jacket draped over her opposite elbow. Donna couldn’t help but wonder how far this girl had travelled and what it cost to get here.

“Hiya! How can I help ya?” Donna asked.

The girl shifted awkwardly, readjusting her bag. “Hi. Does Jody Mills live here?”

“She sure does! And who might you be?”

Before replying, the girl turned and waved at the cab waiting on the street. Both women watched the car turn the corner before regarding each other again.

“I’m Claire,” the girl replied, but her voice cracked and raised at the end. Donna waited patiently as the girl looked up and took a deep breath. She looked like a wounded animal, left in a basket on a doorstep to an unfamiliar house in a strange place. But she cleared her throat, adjusted her bag, and tried again, this time with much more conviction. “Claire Novak. Jody’s expecting me.”

Donna’s smile faltered a little at how uncomfortable the girl seemed. The longer she looked, the harder it was to pinpoint how old Claire was. She looked like she could be a teenager, yet her tired eyes and exhausted slouch conveyed someone who had been through more than a few years of hardship.

Trying her best to look inviting, Donna signaled that she could come in.  Claire hesitated for a moment before stepping inside.

“Just one moment, dearie,” Donna said, “I’ll get her for you.”

Turning to speed walk to the kitchen, Donna barely heard Claire mutter a small “hi” in greeting to Alex, who was currently lying on the couch watching some game show.

“Who was at the door?” Jody asked, while she put the last of the pancakes on a plate.

“A girl by the name of Claire Novak. She looks pretty shaken up,” Donna replied, and the widening of Jody’s eyes told Donna something was up.

“Something wrong, Jody-o?”

Jody sighed and signaled for Donna to follow her back to the front room. “Sam and Dean sent her,” Jody whispered quickly. “It’s a long story. I’ll catch you up later.”

Donna nodded and tailed her friend. Claire seemed to have barely moved an inch, simply staring at her shoes.

“Hi, Claire. Glad to see you’ve made it,” Jody greeted warmly. The woman shook Claire’s hand, evidently knowing the girl wouldn’t want a hug.

“Yeah, your house is pretty easy to find. Um, thanks for inviting me over,” Claire replied with a small smile.

“My pleasure. Feel free to stay as long as you’d like.”

“What do you mean, stay?” Alex interrupted, ripping her attention from a TV commercial. “Do you invite strangers into your house often?”

“Alex,” Jody warned, “Claire has just as much right to be here as you do.” Then, facing Claire, Jody continued, “Claire, Donna’s here ‘til Monday, but when she heads out you can have her room. For now, I can only offer you an air mattress or the couch.”

“No way! Claire can have my room,” Donna exclaimed.

Claire shook her head, blushing. “No, really, that’s fine. Your couch looks comfier than most beds I’ve slept on.”

“If you’re sure,” Jody replied, eyes soft and knowing.

Claire nodded. “Yeah.”

Attempting to avoid an awkward silence, Donna said, “Glad to know that’s settled! Oh boy, we’re going to need more pancakes!”

“You okay with pancakes, Claire? Alex passed all her classes, so she got to pick what we had for dinner,” Jody added.

“Yeah, sounds good. I don’t think I’ve ever had pancakes for dinner,” Claire replied, dropping her jacket and bag and following the two women to the kitchen.

Alex swung her legs off the couch and trudged into the kitchen. “Well, then you’ve been deprived of true happiness,” she gloated.

Donna noticed a pained look cross Claire’s face and her stomach dropped. She wondered what horrors this girl could have faced in her short life, but she decided to do her best to keep the conversation light. “Well that maple syrup _is_ scrump-diily-umptious. What can I get everyone to drink?”

“Coke for me,” Alex replied.

“How about some milk, Alex?” Jody offered.

“Fine, _milk_ please.”

“You betcha. Claire?”

Claire shrugged. “Milk’s fine.”

“Alrighty then,” Donna nodded and flashed the girls a big smile as Jody began handing out the already made pancakes.

Dinner was quiet, but peaceful. Claire didn’t offer much and nobody pried, but Donna was happy to discuss work stuff with Jody. The two women talked regularly and Donna was considering moving to Sioux Falls to get away from her old life and help Jody with a neighboring town that was currently sans-sheriff. Oh, and Alex. Donna was proud to say that she and Alex had defined a mutual respect, and according to Jody, the teen seemed more inclined to open up when Donna was around. Donna guessed that it had something to do with how Alex ended up in Jody’s care, but it wasn’t her business.

Later, when dishes had been cleared and Claire’s couch was outfitted with the comfiest blankets Jody could find, Donna was shutting off the last couple of lights downstairs.

“Donna?”

Claire’s voice sounded small and hesitant, so Donna stepped lightly into the front room. The girl was sitting still in her day clothes, ignoring the borrowed pajamas placed beside her and instead staring at the blank TV. “Can I getcha something, Claire-bear?”

Claire startled when Donna spoke, but quickly relaxed. She spoke quickly and quietly, “No, I’m good. I just wanted to say, uh... thanks. To you and Jody.”

Donna smiled. “Anytime, Claire. I’ll pass that on to Jody. Goodnight.”

“’Night.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you do unholyseraphs for beta reading! 
> 
> If you'd like me to write more of this, come visit me at cains-mane.tumblr.com (:


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